Schusterman International Center professionals perform at the gala. Photo: Max W. Orenstein / Hillel.
Keynote speaker Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks and author of It's Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks delivered an inspiring talk at the opening night plenary.
The opening plenary was followed a day of learning - Yom Iyyun - sponsored by the Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Experience. The Meyerhoff Center celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.
Clare Goldwater, vice president for the Joseph Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Experience, presented the Meyerhoff family with a tribute book detailing a decade of Jewish learning on campus.
Also receiving special recognition were the recipients of the 85th Anniversary Hillel Professional Alumni Awards: Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, program director, Nathan Cummings Foundation; Rabbi Max Ticktin, assistant professor, the George Washington University; and Rhoda Weisman, executive director, the Professional Leaders Project.
Eight Hillel professionals, currently in various stages of their professional careers, were presented with the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence Awards and six Hillels received Vision & Values Awards for helping to realizing different strategic goals on campus.
More than 30 Hillel professionals from campuses and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman International Center achieved professional milestones in 2008 ranging from five years to 35 years.
Hillel also announced the accreditation of four campuses which are fulfilling the standards of the organization and advancing the goals of Hillel's Strategic Plan.
Hillel released three important new documents at the conference: the Success Factors; Performance and Feedback and Evaluation Tool; as well as a new set of Hillel Standards of Excellence. For more information about these documents, contact Jamie Schiffman.
Hillel President Wayne L. Firestone delivered a plenary address titled, “Where are we? Where are we going? And why I am so optimistic!”: